Kevin Durant has reportedly confronted Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai with an ultimatum: trade KD or get rid of coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks.
If these reports are true, then KD has just set the beginning groundworks of the most influential decision for the next five years of basketball. Will a franchise superstar have enough pull to be able to tell an owner how to run THEIR NBA team? Can KD bully Joe Tsai into firing his coach and GM, only a few days after said owner praised both men in the media, in order to keep Durant happy?
Let me just say that this KD trade stalemate is now reaching unprecedented levels. It truly has become a battle of wills between Kevin Durant and the Brooklyn Nets management and ownership. Though, in my opinion, KD is massively overplaying his hand. And it could really cost him.
KD signed a 4-year extension with the Nets only last summer, when he just turned 32. Now, you don’t need to be a math genius to figure out that in four-years’ time, KD will be a 36-year-old in the twilight of his playing career. That doesn’t leave him much time to join a new team to win championships as we all know he is not winning any in Brooklyn now.
If Joe Tsai, Sean Marks, and Steve Nash were ruthless people, they would just deactivate Durant for the remainder of his contract as a response to his ultimatum. I might be tempted to do that if I was in their position.
A player to dictate to an owner is unheard of, even in basketball. There has to be some form of hierarchy and authority in basketball that does not start and stop with a franchise superstar calling all of the shots. As we have seen with Lebron James’ Lakers, sometimes superstars don’t always know how to improve a team.
Anyway, does KD really want to waste four years of his ever-dwindling career on the bench or at home? I know I wouldn’t, and nor should he. He is one of the very best players in NBA history and deserves to be playing on a winning, well-established organization that respects and wants KD. Yet, KD choose to come to the struggling Brooklyn Nets to build a dynasty that could match Steph Curry’s in Golden State.
The Nets were bad for a reason before he came there. He should have realized after four years of playoff failure in Brooklyn that creating a winning culture is far harder than walking into one. Plus, why did he resign to another four years with the team last offseason? That was his chance to sign a 1-year or 2-year deal, or just not resigned at all. 4-years is a long time to stay with a ‘losing’ organization.
Nonetheless, KD chose to resign, and that has now cost him dearly. He better hope the Nets either accept Boston, Miami, Toronto, or Phoenix’s trade package offers, or Joe Tsai cows to his demands. Otherwise, he is facing four years of utter misery and despair in NYC.
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